Locating Nesting Sites for Critically Endangered Galápagos Pink Land Iguanas ().

Invasive alien species control is recognized worldwide as a priority action to preserve global biodiversity. However, a lack of general life history knowledge for threatened species can impede the effectiveness of conservation actions. Galápagos pink land iguanas () are endemic to Wolf Volcano, Galápagos, Ecuador.

Hand grab or noose pole? Evaluating the least stressful practice for capture of endangered Turks and Caicos Rock Iguanas .

As the analysis of blood metabolites has become more readily accessible thanks to the use of point-of-care analyzers, it is now possible to evaluate stress level of wild animals directly in the field. Lactate is receiving much attention as a good stress level proxy in individuals subjected to capture, manual restraint, and data sampling in the wild, and appropriate protocols to maintain lactate values low should be preferred. In this study we compare how two different capture methodologies, hand grab noose pole, affect the variation of blood lactate values in iguanas when captured for sampling.

Phylogenomics and historical biogeography of West Indian Rock Iguanas (genus Cyclura).

The genus Cyclura includes nine extant species and six subspecies of West Indian Rock Iguanas and is one of the most imperiled genera of squamate reptiles globally. An understanding of species diversity, evolutionary relationships, diversification, and historical biogeography in this group is crucial for implementing sound long-term conservation strategies. We collected DNA samples from 1 to 10 individuals per taxon from all Cyclura taxa (n = 70 ingroup individuals), focusing where possible on incorporating individuals from different populations of each species.

Conservation of a flagship species: Health assessment of the pink land iguana, Conolophus marthae.

The pink land iguana, Conolophus marthae, is one of four species of iguanas (three terrestrial and one marine) in the Galápagos Islands, and the only one listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. The species can only be found on the north-west slopes of the highest volcano on Isabela Island and was first described to science in 2009. As part of a population telemetry study, a health assessment was authorized by the Galápagos National Park.

Chemical signatures of femoral pore secretions in two syntopic but reproductively isolated species of Galápagos land iguanas (Conolophus marthae and C. subcristatus).

The only known population of Conolophus marthae (Reptilia, Iguanidae) and a population of C. subcristatus are syntopic on Wolf Volcano (Isabela Island, Galápagos). No gene flow occurs suggesting that effective reproductive isolating mechanisms exist between these two species.

Conditional female strategies influence hatching success in a communally nesting iguana.

The decision of females to nest communally has important consequences for reproductive success. While often associated with reduced energetic expenditure, conspecific aggregations also expose females and offspring to conspecific aggression, exploitation, and infanticide. Intrasexual competition pressures are expected to favor the evolution of conditional strategies, which could be based on simple decision rules (i.

Heterozygosity-Fitness Correlations Reveal Inbreeding Depression in Neonatal Body Size in a Critically Endangered Rock Iguana.

Inbreeding depression, though challenging to identify in nature, may play an important role in regulating the dynamics of small and isolated populations. Conversely, greater expression of genetic load can enhance opportunities for natural selection. Conditional expression concentrates these opportunities for selection and may lead to failure of detection.

Genetic structure at three spatial scales is consistent with limited philopatry in Ricord's Rock Iguanas ().

is an endemic iguana from Hispaniola Island and is threatened on the IUCN Red List. The main threats are predation by introduced mammals, habitat destruction, and hunting pressure. The present study focused on two nesting sites from Pedernales Province in the Dominican Republic.

Phylogeography of the endangered Lesser Antillean iguana, Iguana delicatissima: a recent diaspora in an archipelago known for ancient herpetological endemism.

Iguana delicatissima is an endangered endemic of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. Phylogeographic analyses for many terrestrial vertebrate species in the Caribbean, particularly lizards, suggest ancient divergence times. Often, the closest relatives of species are found on the same island, indicating that colonization rates are so low that speciation on islands is often more likely to generate biodiversity than subsequent colonization events.

Isolation and characterization of 23 polymorphic microsatellite loci for a West Indian iguana (Cyclura pinguis) from the British Virgin Islands.

Twenty-three polymorphic microsatellite markers were identified and characterized for Cyclura pinguis, a critically endangered species of lizard (Sauria: Iguanidae) native to Anegada Island in the British Virgin Islands. We examined variation at these loci for 39 C. pinguis, finding up to five alleles per locus and an average expected heterozygosity of 0.